I am progressing with the sale of my flat in Southwark and the estate agent has just telephoned to warn that the purchasers are swapping law firm. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major mortgage company only work with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Southwark ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 25 years.

Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are not going to have any impact on this.

At what point can the exchange of contracts occur in residential conveyancing in Southwark and do I need to be at the solicitors branch?

Where you are near to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Southwark you are welcome to come in to sign the paperwork. That being said, the law practices we recommend provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and provide as equally diligent and professional a job for you when communicating with you by post or email. The executing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. A signed contract simply enables the solicitor to exchange contracts when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Southwark)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Southwark. I I am struggling to find out whether they are accepted on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society approved list of lawyers. Could you or the lender confirm if they are on the panel?

You should contact the conveyancer and enquire whether they are on the lender panel. Otherwise you can call Norwich and Peterborough Building Society who may be able to help.

We are buying a house and the lawyer has mentioned Chancel Repair to which the property could be obligated to contribute to as it falls into the area of such a church. She has recommended insurance. Is this strictly warranted for conveyancing in Southwark

Unless a previous purchase of the house took place post 12 October 2013 you could assume that lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Southwark to remain recommending a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

My fiance and I are purchasing a four bedroom apartmentin Southwark with a residential mortgage from a mortgage company. We wish to instruct our lawyer in Southwark however our bank advise he's not listed on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to instruct one of the our mortgage company panel solicitors or keep our Southwark solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that our lender use our Southwark lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The bank home loan offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender's conveyancing panel. Until recently, most banks had open panels, including almost all conveyancing solicitors in Southwark : a mortgagee could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for your lender.